Originally Posted by pan6467

I'm sorry but I can see how and why they want to have only their own.

If people want to go to a forum to talk about their beliefs and worship and just feel safe, why would you want people that are going to argue, make fun of you and so on.

The web is full of sites where one can go for argument and to discover other people's views. So what is wrong with respecting another's desire to have a site where they can have people who are of the same ilk?

It's like belonging to a Pagan forum, why would I want to go if all of a sudden a group of people started harassing me telling me I was going to Hell because I didn't worship Christ? Eventually, I would stop going, as would other pagans and the forum would die. Thus those who harassed got what they wanted. It's bullshit.

People who believe that "free speech" and "that they have the right" to go to another's forum to create havoc and problems are the small minded individuals, not the people with the forum.

Let's say with TFP, we had a group of members decide Porn was evil and they started posting on all the titty board threads how evil the porn was. Those people would not last. Let's say that Hal and the Admins, told these people "ok be here just you are banned from the porn"..... these people would then feel challenged and would start harassing ALL threads until Hal and the Admins said enough, you are banned period.

If I go to a recovery forum, I don't want to read about people currently getting high and talking down to me about recovery.

If I go to a forum where we talk about metaphysical properties of crystals, UFO's, goshts and so on..... I don't want to have to be harassed by non believers.

As social animals we strive to find those who are more like us. It doesn't mean we have closed minds, it means that perhaps we want to talk to each other, trade beliefs and so on with people who are more understanding of our beliefs. I have no desire to go to a forum I joined because they aligned closely with my beliefs and have to argue them. I can do that in forums like this that are broader and attract differing groups. Both types have their purposes. Both types are informative, ways to make friends and so on.

I have only 1 person in my friend list {and he requested to be there I don't send friend requests because of fear of rejection and I feel if someone wants to talk to me via IM or so on they will, I am not one to initiate, that's just how I am} that we have opposing political views. I have far more on this board that dislike me and have me on ignore because they dislike my political views. But they will have pages of friends who have the same political alignment. Are these people close minded? No, I don't believe so, I just believe they would rather talk to others that have more common beliefs.

Again, I reiterate, it is far more small minded, IMHO, to be judgmental and demanding that you have a say that goes against the whole forum, than it is to allow the forum and those people the respect, peace and comfort they seek.